Top 10: Stand-Up Comics

Number 4

George Carlin

George Carlin got his start on radio in the late '50s. After taking his act to Los Angeles, Lenny Bruce helped him get more exposure with gigs on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . Following a stint in Las Vegas, he reinvented his image in the '70s and embraced vulgarity.

He pushed the government's envelope with his routine on the seven dirty words you can't say on television and he became passionate about promoting free speech. Carlin is one of the most prolific comedians of our time because he manages to present social commentary in an extremely hilarious fashion. He is a comic with substance.

Best line: "Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second best policy."

Number 3

Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor began doing comedy while in the U.S. Army and continued touring local clubs after his discharge. He performed in New York, Las Vegas and Hollywood before becoming famous thanks to appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Merv Griffin Show and The Tonight Show .

Extremely obscene — after all, he was raised in a whorehouse — he competently uses four-letter words in a style that borders on art. He talks about the pimps and hookers of his childhood as well as his life in the fast lane. Pryor has had a distinguished film career but he is known as every comedian's favorite comic.

Best line: "When you ain't got no money, you gotta get an attitude."

Number 2

Bill Cosby

While a student at Temple University, Bill Cosby worked as a bartender to support himself. That's when people suggested that he become a comedian. While he continued his education, which resulted in a Ph.D. in education, he took his routine to comedy clubs and eventually got discovered by Carl Reiner.

He became a star on television with shows like I Spy, The Bill Cosby Show and the astoundingly successful The Cosby Show . However, Cosby's place in history remains tightly linked to his stand-up persona. Whether he's talking about how a man behaves when his wife is delivering a baby or enumerating the virtues of drinking on the weekends, Cosby is a master. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he doesn't fall back on the use of profanity much and he's one of the first comics to use a storytelling style to deliver jokes. He's definitely one of the greatest.

Best line: "A word to the wise ain't necessary; it's the stupid ones who need the advice."

Number 1

Lenny Bruce

Any way you slice it, Lenny Bruce is to stand-up comedy what Babe Ruth is to baseball. After getting a start doing impressions and one-liners in nightclubs, Bruce began peppering his speech with foul language and Yiddish expressions, and tackling darker subjects like racism and religion (like that time he acted out a conversation between the Pope and Oral Roberts, with both of them speaking as though they were in show business).

In the repressed world of the '50s and '60s, he truly was a pioneer. Ironically, this status also led to his arrest for obscenity, and his downfall and early death from a drug overdose in 1966. The fact that most controversial comics who followed in his footsteps cite him as their influence is what makes Lenny Bruce the best stand-up comedians ever.

Best line: "My mother-in-law broke up my marriage. My wife came home and found us in bed together."

have the last laugh

As you can see, making people laugh is not just about telling a good joke — it's mostly about how you tell it. It's too bad that I had to limit myself to only 10 entries, because comedians like Rodney Dangerfield and Denis Leary also deserve recognition. Just remember to empty your bladder before seeing any of these comedians live...